Mothers and Daughters: A Brave Essay
by HAFanForever
Summary: Merida and Elinor's relationship is really the heart of Pixar's Brave, so I've written this essay about them, and it gives an analysis on their relationship based on various, important scenes from the movie.


**Introduction**

Pixar's latest film _Brave_ is an animated movie that I like very much. In fact, I'm a big lover of animation in general, most especially of films made by Disney with and without the partnership of Pixar. _Brave_ is Pixar's thirteenth feature film, and I've seen all of the others, except for the _Cars_ films. Before I saw _Brave_, I had read about how last year's film _Cars 2_ was the film that broke the studio's streak of critical success, as more of the reviews were mixed, and even the first _Cars_ had gotten slightly less positive reception than the Pixar films before it. Reviews for _Brave_ have been mostly positive, and according to the site Rotten Tomatoes, its percentage of positive reviews have been higher than those for both _Cars_ films. I think that _Brave_ still didn't get as many good reviews as all other films before it because critics who were disappointed with _Cars 2_ were hoping for another major groundbreaker.

_Brave_ marks several firsts for Pixar, as have most of their films in one way or another. It's their first film to have a female protagonist, the first to take place in a historical setting (it is set in the Highlands of 10th century Scotland), and it is also their first fairy tale. However, it departs from the traditional fairy tale storyline, in that the princess of the story, Merida, does not have a love interest in the film. This was the intention of Brenda Chapman, the original director of the film. Although not a traditional romance story between a princess and a man (a prince or a commoner), _Brave_ is a still a love story, as it focuses on the relationship between Merida and her mother, Queen Elinor. Chapman's main inspiration for this was the relationship she had with her own daughter, and it also combined her love of fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm. From the one part of the inspiration, she loosely based Elinor on herself and Merida on her daughter, Emma.

The third Pixar film to be given a PG rating, as well as their third film to have humans as the main cast of characters, _Brave_ is somewhat darker and more mature in tone than its previous films, even more so than _The Incredibles_ and _Up_, both of which were also rated PG. As some of the content might be a little hard for younger children to understand, it might be why they and some critics wouldn't like it very much. Personally, I wouldn't consider _Brave_ Pixar's best movie ever, but it's definitely not their worst, either. I honestly really did enjoy it, for several reasons. Like many of the Pixar films before it, the animation was really good, particularly because of how they illustrated a majestic place like Scotland, especially with its landscapes. That authenticity is what made me enjoy the film, along with the fact that they used English and Scottish actors to voice the characters, and the soundtrack consisted of Scottish music. I also really liked how it broke the tradition of typical fairy tale stories for past Disney animated features, which is that a princess meets a prince or some other male suitor, falls in love with him, and later marries him. Unlike past Disney princesses, Merida is not very excited about marriage or even ready to get married, even though she is expected to at her age. In the end, they keep her single and she is given the decision to get married when she's ready and wants to. I also love Merida as a character regarding her differences from other typical princesses, especially in that time period.

But what I like best about _Brave_ is how it explores Merida and Elinor's relationship, which really is the focal point of the film, and many of my favorite scenes are ones that feature them together. That's why I decided to do this essay, because I see a lot of psychological setups between them that can be interpreted in several ways, especially in those scenes of them together. So I will discuss the synopsis of the film, particularly scenes or short moments that feature Merida and Elinor together, and occasionally throw in my own personal thoughts regarding what I understand about them during those points in the movie. However, because I really do have a lot to say, I will be splitting the sections of the film's summary combined with my personal thoughts on the scenes into two parts, namely based on the two halves of the film. On an interesting side note, since this relationship is the core of the film, it seems to be symbolized in the film's logo: there is a stylized representation of Merida in the "B" and Elinor in the "E." Merida's representation is her bow's ornament, while Elinor's representation is her necklace.

**Merida ****–**** Princess of DunBroch**

The lead character of _Brave_ is Merida, a Scottish princess who lives in the Highland clan of DunBroch with her parents, King Fergus and Queen Elinor, and her younger triplet brothers, Princes Hamish, Hubert, and Harris. As Fergus and Elinor's oldest child, Merida is the heir to the throne of DunBroch; she is sixteen years old, has long, curly red hair and blue eyes, and loves archery, swordplay, and horseback riding on her Clydesdale, Angus. Her prized possession is a small, white bow that was given to her by Fergus on her sixth birthday and she has grown up to be one of the best archers ever seen. Merida's personality is very different and unexpected for a Disney princess, especially for the time period in which the story takes place. She is very bold, outgoing, free-spirited, independent, tomboyish, and adventurous, and as a young woman, she also stands out because she does not care about possessing the qualities or activities of interest of a lady. She also appears to be realistic, more so than other princesses, about the restrictions that are placed on her life as a princess and as a woman in general for the time period. Because of her independent nature, Merida hates that her whole life is planned out for her as the princess and heir of DunBroch. She is expected to put her royal responsibilities before her own personal feelings and to enjoy or pursue only whatever is graceful or elegant. With all of this, she always feels that it's very unfair that people make all decisions for her, and that she has to go along with them and cannot change them once they are made. She virtually has no say in whatever she does or wants to do, what she likes, or how to live her own life. It appears that she has to do as she is told all the time, make no objections to them, and make an effort to enjoy them, regardless. As such, it has also made her very headstrong, rebellious, hot-tempered, defiant, stubborn, impulsive, and sometimes irresponsible. Her traits and interests show that Merida has grown up to be a lot like her father, and she also gets her blue eyes and red hair from him. On a side note, her curly red hair is bright, wild, and impossible to control, which is a perfect representation of her nature, especially with her hot temper.

**Fergus and Elinor – King and Queen of DunBroch**

Merida's parents, Fergus and Elinor, are the rulers of DunBroch, and they are about as opposite as a couple can be, from their physical appearances to their personalities. Elinor is a very slender woman who actually dresses like royalty, with her elegant dresses, neat way of wearing her hair, and she wears a small crown. Fergus is a very big and muscular man who does not dress like a typical king, because he wears a plaid kilt and an armor suit over his undershirt (which is sometimes a chain mail one), he wears a metal helmet, and the cape he sometimes wears is made of bear fur. Fergus is known for being the kingdom's war-leader and a skilled warrior, especially in sports, including archery and swordplay. However, he can also be immature, boisterous, and impulsive, especially since he loves to join brawls that occur between the clans of the kingdom. On the other hand, Elinor is a perfectionist and tries to live up to that by following her beliefs in how a lady achieves perfection: she is always very calm, prim, proper, elegant, and ladylike. Known for being the kingdom's peacekeeper and diplomat, she is very strict, conservative, and a stickler for good manners, rules, and laws, especially when it comes to ruling the kingdom. She relies on laws and traditions to ensure that the kingdom remains running smoothly and no harm comes to it.

**The Bonds of Family**

Despite their differences, Fergus and Elinor are shown to love each other very much and they love their children, too. However, Merida's relationships with her parents are not the same. Because they are so much more alike, Merida and Fergus get along so well with each other, and he is very proud of Merida for her excellent skills in archery and swordfighting. But Elinor is like a typical queen or lady of a Disney movie: she is almost the exact opposite of Merida with her graceful and elegant demeanor. Because Merida is next in line to be the ruler of DunBroch, Elinor frequently gives Merida lessons as a preparation on what Merida is supposed to do and know for when the day comes when she will become queen. However, because Elinor is a perfectionist, she has all sorts of rules for Merida on how a princess should behave and what she should do. She forever picks on and criticizes Merida when she sees her stepping out of bounds if she exhibits behavior that isn't ladylike. Elinor uses these rules to keep Merida in check with her lessons and duties, but the more she does it (which is literally a lot), the more she pushes Merida away, and this causes a great deal of friction between them. Merida is a perfect example of a child who rebels when one or both of the parents are so strict with her or him, and by strict, I mean of how Elinor literally tries to control every part of Merida's life, from the way she should laugh to the way she should eat. Elinor's lessons with Merida even make her appear as if she is putting her role as a queen first over her role as Merida's mother. I'm sure that, as a parent, in her own way, she is proud of Merida for being an amazing archer, but she feels that, since she is a princess, Merida should act more like one by exhibiting ladylike behavior and interests.

Although very little is revealed about Elinor's past, she really is the second most important character in the film after Merida. It seems that she is the kind of person who accepts any responsibility and the things expected of her without questioning them, as if she knows it's her place. By being that way, she clearly expects Merida to be just like her in order to be a proper queen, and to know her place with that role. It appears that anything different and unexpected is just what Elinor cannot handle. She likes things to remain the same, which is why she follows laws and traditions to rule the kingdom, and she wouldn't know what to do if any big changes occur. This would explain why she doesn't accept the fact that Merida is different, both as a princess and as a person in general, but also because her personality is very different from her own (Elinor). The latter could definitely be expected since she appears to be the kind of mother who wants her daughter to be exactly like her, so she tries to mold Merida to be that way. This is apparent because she notices how Merida is much more like Fergus and less like her, and with this, Merida and Fergus get along so well, but Elinor and Merida do not get along so well anymore. Merida's behavior is unique, but very different and unexpected for a woman of her time, and her mother cannot handle her because of that, no matter how hard she tries. The conflict that she has with her mother is what makes Merida rebel, much like typical rebellious teens would do when they have a lot of conflict with their parents. And like parents of troubled teens, Elinor gradually comes to a point when she feels that she doesn't know what else to do to control Merida. Many parents feel like this especially if their children exhibit behavior that is very contradictory to their own, so they don't know how to handle it.

**Plot Rundown and Personal Thoughts ****–**** Part 1**

The film begins with a short prologue, set on Merida's sixth birthday, where the royal family is on an outdoor picnic. Elinor makes her first appearance searching and calling for Merida, showing that they are playing hide-and-seek. Merida is hiding under a table, but quickly moves to hide somewhere else before her mother finds her there. After not finding her under the table, Elinor asks out loud where Merida is and says she will gobble her up when she finds her. Then Merida comes up behind Elinor, who sees her and catches her before she runs away. She shows her love and affection for Merida by holding her in her arms and plays eating her and making munching sounds as she does. Elinor objects when she sees Fergus putting his bow on the picnic table, and grows slightly nervous when he gives Merida her own bow as a present and starts teaching her archery. Merida shoots an arrow far into the forest and Elinor lets her go off to retrieve it. Once she is alone with Fergus, Elinor says, "A bow, Fergus? She's a lady!" This obviously shows that Elinor does not approve of Merida learning archery, and thinks that she should be interested in anything more fit for a princess; namely anything that is elegant and ladylike. Her words also suggest that Fergus did not discuss this with her and went ahead and gave it to Merida without Elinor's permission. After Merida retrieves the arrow, she encounters some will-o'-the-wisps, and follows them back to her camp. She tells her parents what she saw, but only Elinor seems to believe her and in the existence of the wisps. As she picks Merida up and starts to carry her away, she tells her that Fergus doesn't believe in magic. Then Merida suddenly screams when she spots the demon bear Mor'du. As Elinor runs away with Merida, then flees with her on her horse, Fergus stays behind to fight the bear.

The film then moves ahead to ten years later, when Fergus has a peg leg ever since he lost his leg to Mor'du from the earlier battle, Elinor has given birth to the triplets, and Merida has become a skilled archer and adventurous teenager. Merida gives a voiceover about what has happened during this time and about her restrictions as a princess, particularly of how Elinor is in charge of every single day of Merida's life. Teenage Merida makes her first appearance in this scene at the castle's doorway: the doors open and reveal Merida just outside them, about to bite into an apple. At the same time, her family members are sitting at their thrones. Upon seeing Merida, Elinor groans, then gives her a look that says, "Straighten up," since she thinks that Merida biting into the apple is unladylike. Merida takes one bite of the apple, tosses it away as she wipes her mouth off with the back of her hand, then marches into the Great Hall and takes her seat at her throne. Once she does, Elinor gives her another disapproving look, which is likely because Merida did a sloppy gesture of wiping her mouth with her hand and did not walk slowly and gracefully into the hall. It is by this time that Elinor has already been giving Merida lessons on how to be a proper princess, and a montage is shown of several brief scenes with these lessons. Throughout them, Elinor gives Merida lessons on public speaking, geography about the kingdom, and pursuing traditions like playing instruments and training falcons. However, she not only instructs Merida on what a princess is supposed to do, but continuously tells her what kind of behavior she should and should not exhibit, especially if she sees Merida acting unladylike. The montage ends with Elinor telling Merida that a princess strives for perfection, and Merida looks at her with a puzzled expression.

Overall, the whole scene shows us that, since the prologue, Merida and Elinor are no longer as close as they used to be since Elinor started grooming Merida with the lessons. Merida has grown up and has since gained her own mind and identity, which is not similar to that of Elinor's. It appears that Elinor thinks that not only should Merida put her royal duties before her own personal interests, but that Merida should be exactly like her in order to become a proper queen. It also seems that Merida tries to meet Elinor's expectations during the lessons, but she can never get anything 100% correct, no matter how much or how hard she tries. This is because Elinor, being a perfectionist, has her own ideas on how things have to be done in order to be perfect, and she feels that Merida is not giving it her best effort, even though Merida thinks just the opposite. Additionally, Elinor's behavior this time seems to be a contrast from her fun-loving and somewhat free-spirited nature in the prologue scene, partly because it doesn't say exactly why or when she began to be so strict with Merida. However, it's possible that she became more like that after Fergus lost his leg because he had to spend time recuperating and she was left to rule the kingdom on her own for a while after that. She and everyone else knew there was a chance that he might not have survived his injury, which meant that Elinor would have had the burden of ruling the whole kingdom and taking care of Merida all by herself. The whole experience would have left her shaken in such a way that she became very strict on keeping the kingdom running well and making sure her family stayed in line, too. And she put a lot of that strictness on Merida so that she would stay in line in terms of knowing what she needs to do when the time comes for her to rule DunBroch. Lastly, in the prologue, Elinor was the one who allowed Merida to go into the woods and retrieve the arrow, after which Mor'du appeared. So maybe her strictness and disapproving nature of Merida's tomboyish behavior goes back to that day, and she thinks about the worst on what could have happened to Merida and is determined to keep her from doing something that she believes could be dangerous, while Merida wouldn't see it that way.

On the day when she is free of lessons and expectations, Merida goes riding on Angus and practices her archery, then climbs the Crone's Tooth and drinks from the Fire Falls. All the time, the song "Touch the Sky" plays, and I think it's perfect for the scene, because it references Merida's adventurous and free-spirited nature, and her desire to be able to live her own life. This is also notable for being a time when she is away from home and especially from her mother. It's on these kinds of days when Merida feels that she can truly be herself, because Elinor has so many rules and expectations that pretty much tell us that she does not want Merida to be herself, namely because she feels that Merida's feisty and high-spirited personality is not right for a princess or a lady. Angus also acts as her ticket to freedom in this scene, because he is her horse and she rides on him to get away the castle and have her freedom. This is a lot like how teenagers of today use cars for similar purposes and desires. When Merida goes home and meets her family for dinner, she places her bow on the dinner table, and Elinor barely looks away from some papers she is reading as she once again corrects Merida by saying that a princess does not place her weapons on the table. Then she further expresses her displeasure at Merida's love of weaponry by adding, "A princess should not have weapons, in my opinion." Merida tries to get her mother's attention by telling her about her adventure, but only Fergus and the triplets really listen to her and express their amazement. Elinor keeps her eyes on the the papers when Merida tells about her adventure, and even still when she asks, "What did you do, dear?", which shows that she didn't pay attention to Merida at all. Merida just sighs and says, "Nothing, Mum," which indicates that she is sure her mother would not approve of what she did, as always, so she doesn't dare repeat what she said. Elinor finally looks away from the papers enough to see Merida's big plate of muffins and complains that they will give Merida collywobbles.

The rest of the scene is when Elinor receives and tells Merida and Fergus the news that the lords of the kingdom's three neighboring clans have accepted the offer to present their sons as suitors for Merida's betrothal. I thought that this moment was what really started to tip Merida's temper and friction with her mother even more. When she is told about the betrothal, her reaction indicates that it was the first time she had ever heard of it. This may make some people think that she is against marriage entirely or even having a romantic relationship. But I really think that what made her upset about it was the fact that it was a forced and arranged marriage, and especially that it was going to happen to her very soon. It's another thing that Merida has to go through without any real say or choice in the matter. Elinor had announced the news in an excited manner, and she clearly expected Merida to be happy, too. But on the contrary: Merida was shocked and not at all happy about it. As she tries to protest with her parents, Elinor says, "Honestly, Merida, I don't know why you're reacting this way." Then she eagerly explains to Merida that the sons of the lords will compete in this year's Highland Games, with the winning prize being Merida's hand in marriage. But Merida only feels angry and exasperated over being forced to do something against her will again, due to her being a princess (not to mention she doesn't want to be treated as a prize to win in a contest), so she pounds her fists on the table and shouts, "I suppose a princess just does what she's told!" Her anger rises up further when Elinor corrects her behavior for the umpteenth time by saying that a princess does not raise her voice. When she tells Merida that this is what she had been preparing for her whole life, Merida storms out and declares, "No, it's what you've been preparing me for my whole life! I won't go through with it! You can't make me!" Elinor refuses to leave her be, so she follows Merida to her room and tells the tale of the lost kingdom and how the oldest prince caused the kingdom to fall to ruin after splitting from his brothers and following his own path. As she tells the tale, she illustrates it by using four chess pieces as the princes and the board as the kingdom, with the pieces in all four corners and others on top of it. Then she pulls out the piece that represents the oldest prince, and the board tilts and the pieces collapse to the floor. Elinor wants to shock Merida by trying to make her realize that she is a lot like that prince (though it doesn't work), and warns her that failure to marry could harm DunBroch and end the alliance of the kingdom's four clans. Her words of wisdom are "Legends are lessons. They ring with truths." But like all other times where Elinor has told her what she should and shouldn't do, Merida refuses to believe her mother's words and remains adamant on believing that the betrothal is unfair. At a loss for words when her mother says that marriage isn't the end of the world, she angrily slams her bedroom door after Elinor leaves.

As Elinor works on a tapestry that portrays the royal family, she tells Fergus that she feels that she is at her wit's end about getting Merida to accept her responsibilities as the heir of DunBroch. By having Fergus pretending to be Merida, she practices saying exactly what she wants to say to Merida in order to get through to her on the importance of the situation. At the very same moment, Merida is in Angus's stall and talking to him in the same way Elinor is talking to Fergus, in how she wants to get through to her mother on her own feelings. It's by the time that we get to this scene that we realize through this and all past scenes that there is virtually no communication between mother and daughter. If there are any words exchanged between them, it's Elinor telling Merida what she is supposed to do or not do and Merida just sarcastically retorts those words or says nothing out of her annoyance and anger with her mother. I really like this whole scene because it shows how they feel the same way in trying to get the other person to really listen and understand their feelings about the situation, and it's no coincidence that both of their speeches end with "listen." This is especially with Merida, because she admits the reason of why she is upset over the betrothal, which is that she's just not ready for a big commitment and responsibility like marriage. From what we have seen in past scenes, Merida has no say in making her own decisions and taking control over her own life, but the betrothal makes her most upset because getting married is the ultimate step in her losing her freedom. With this speech practice, we realize that Merida wants to talk to her mother on how she's not ready for marriage, and she says that she is not doing this to hurt her mother. But I think she doesn't talk to her because she doesn't think that talking would do any good at all. Because Merida has been expected to put her royal duties before her own feelings, she feels that Elinor does this by putting her duties as the queen first and her duties as a mother second, so she feels that Elinor cares more about the well-being of the kingdom and less about her, if at all. She doesn't think that Elinor will genuinely listen to her or understand how she feels, and that is apparent when she said that she didn't know why Merida reacted the way she did to the news of the betrothal. So the whole scene shows how important it is for them to talk to each other, but it shouldn't be just one person doing the talking; if they actually sat down together, said everything that they wanted to say without one interrupting the other, and genuinely listened to each other, then the rift between them could get a little better.

On the morning when the clans arrive, Elinor prepares Merida by putting her into a tight dress and covering her entire head and neck with a hood called a wimple. Merida complains that she can't breathe or move well because the dress is too tight, but Elinor ignores her and just expresses her pleasure in how perfect and beautiful Merida looks. This scene marks the first time that we see Merida wearing a formal dress, which is tight and restricts her movements. It even somewhat changes the shape of her body, especially since her curly and wild red hair is tucked away. All other scenes show Merida in dresses that are simpler, looser, and more comfortable to move in, and they are noticeable for having no fancy designs on them and loose cloth at the elbows and shoulders. These dresses are a clear representation of her independence and love of freedom, because she loves being able to do what she wants when she wants to do it, and the dresses she often wears are loose in such a way that she can move freely and not be held back from doing her activities, not to mention she always keeps her hair out and never tucks it away. But now, she is being forced to take on a role that she feels she is not ready for and doesn't define her, especially one that is more restricting. The dress and wimple are literally covering up who she really is, which can be seen as another way of Elinor not allowing Merida to be her true self. As Merida struggles, Elinor says her name and looks into her eyes as Merida does the same. She seems to want to tell Merida something important, but then she appears to change her mind and all she says is "Remember to smile," and Merida seems somewhat surprised and puzzled by her mother's apparent change of expression. What Elinor wanted to say to Merida was definitely going to be about the betrothal, and from the way she looked at Merida, you could that she wanted to be more understanding of Merida's feelings over this. It's likely that she wanted to say something along the lines of "I understand that this is all unfair and you may hate me for it now. But one day, you will understand the importance of this and thank me for it." The fact that she shook her head and only said to her "Remember to smile" shows that she didn't have the heart to tell Merida words like those, probably because she was afraid of how Merida would react if she did, such as Merida would not believe her words and they would fight over this all over again.

When she gets to her throne, Merida has trouble sitting down right, so she slumps onto her throne, and Elinor just motions with her finger for her to sit up straight. Merida reluctantly does, then she defiantly pulls out a curl from under her wimple and lets it fall between her eyes. Elinor notices and immediately tucks it back in, but after her mother takes her seat on her throne, Merida pulls out the curl again. After the clans enter, Lords Macintosh, MacGuffin, and Dingwall present their respective sons Young Macintosh, Young MacGuffin, and Wee Dingwall. Merida shows her disinterest in them, but also shakes her head in disgust as a brawl breaks out between the clans. Fergus tries to stop it after Elinor gives him a stern look, but it quickly starts up again and this time, Fergus jumps into it! Both Merida and Elinor are displeased in how it keeps going on, but Elinor finally puts a stop to it. As she walks through the brawl, everyone stops and gets out of her way when they see her. Fergus and the lords are the last people she comes across at the end of the hall, and like the clansmen, their eyes widen in fear when they see Elinor. She grabs them by the ears and drags back towards the thrones, then she lets go of them. This was a definitely a moment that I thought was a great way to illustrate Elinor's authority as the queen of DunBroch. During this whole time, Elinor remained calm (though she wore a displeased look on her face), and never said a single word as she walked through the men until she came to Fergus and the lords. Her doing that and dragging them by their ears makes them feel ashamed and apologetic for what they did. This makes it clear that all of the men have a great respect for Elinor and don't ever bother to question her authority. She is very wise and can handle anything, even when something steps out of bounds, such as a brawl occurring and her being able to put a stop to it. What amazes me the most is that she can get through to people when they go out of bounds by giving them a stern look, and not even speak a word.

After stopping the brawl, Elinor outlines the rules of the Highland Games, and she mentions that only the firstborn descendants of the clan leaders are eligible to compete for the hand of Merida. Hearing the word "firstborn" intrigues Merida and she listens very carefully to the rest of her mother's speech. When Elinor announces that the suitors' challenge is meant to be determined by the princess, Merida excitedly exclaims, "Archery! Archery." But when Elinor glances at her, Merida calms down and pretends to please her mother by being ladylike: she clasps her hands together and carefully announces, "I choose…archery." After Elinor announces for the Games to begin, the scene cuts to events happening at the Games, including when the main competition is about to begin. After her parents wish the suitors good luck, Merida smiles mischievously as she hides her bow and arrows on the side of her throne. By now, we realize that Merida is going to enter the competition because she believes that she is eligible to do so since she is the firstborn descendant of DunBroch. She chose archery because she knows that it is something at which she can beat the suitors, and then by entering the competition, she will win for sure and not have to get married to any of them. After all of the suitors have hit their targets (and Wee Dingwall manages to strike the bull's-eye by accident), Merida sneaks onto the field and shocks everyone by announcing what she plans to do, but Elinor is shocked the most. When she tries to shoot an arrow, the dress prevents her from doing so, so she stretches and bends over, which tears the seams and finally allows her the movements she needs to properly aim an arrow at the target. After making a bull's-eye on the first target, Elinor tells Merida to stop what she is doing, but Merida ignores her and scores again on the second target. By this time, Elinor is walking towards Merida at the third target, and just as she says, "I forbid it!", Merida releases the arrow, and she shocks everyone by splitting Wee Dingwall's arrow right down the center! Merida is very pleased, but then she turns to her left and comes face to face with Elinor, who is furious and drags Merida to the tapestry room, where they have a big fight.

The scene in which Elinor and Merida have their argument over Merida's actions at the Games is the scene that I was waiting for to happen, and I actually predicted words that they would say to each other, most of which were said. Before then, Merida and Elinor were constantly butting heads about how Merida is supposed to behave as a princess, and Elinor was forever criticizing her on how wrong she does things, so their anger at each other in this scene appeared to be the final straw for both of them. This seems to be evident for Elinor because after she throws Merida into the room, she exclaims, "I've just about had enough of you, lass!" Merida claims that she followed the rules of the Games, but her actions were more a way showing off and besting the suitors, which was humiliating to the lords and Elinor. This also angers Elinor because she is fed up with trying to get Merida to listen to her about what could happen to the kingdom if Merida does not get married, and now her actions could lead to fighting among the clans. But Merida is also angry because she is fed up in how her mother is always making her do things that she (Elinor) wants, and not what Merida wants. She complains about how Elinor is always telling her what to do or not to do, and when she says that she is not going to be like her mother, Elinor just dismisses her talk as nonsense and says that Merida is acting like a child. But then Merida becomes even angrier than before and walks over to the wall, which holds the tapestry of the royal family. Using a sword, she points at the image of Elinor in the tapestry and calls her a beast for trying to control and ruin her life. As she repeats that she will never be like Elinor, she pokes a hole into it while Elinor notices and tells her to stop. But Merida suddenly slashes the tapestry, specifically between the images of herself and Elinor (which were holding hands), and at the same time, she shouts, "I'd rather DIE than be like you!" As Elinor gasps in shock at what Merida said and did, Merida just angrily stares at her mother. Elinor finally loses her patience and temper with Merida and marches up to her. First, she takes the sword away and tosses it aside, then she takes the bow off of Merida's back and tosses it into the fireplace. Shocked at what her mother just did, Merida runs from the room in tears. Elinor calls after her, but when she hears the bow string popping in the fireplace, she immediately regrets what she has done and pulls it out of the fireplace. Seeing that she ruined something important to Merida, Elinor asks herself what she has done and weeps.

As I said before, this is the scene I was expecting to happen because Elinor and Merida finally seemed to have lost their patience and tempers with each other, and Merida's actions were the final straw in tipping the scale. But I actually like this scene as well because there are few things that happen in it that are important to notice, including for later scenes in the movie. Much like in the scene where they practice talking to each other, you realize by now that you don't want to side with one character over the other. You can shake your head at Merida because she refuses to accept her royal responsibilities, but also sympathize with her because her life is restricted and she wants her mother to accept her for her own person, not try to force her to be someone she isn't. The same goes for Elinor, because she can't expect Merida to be exactly like her 100%, whether as the future queen or as a person. And at the same time, you can also sympathize with her because she is determined to make sure that the kingdom remains running smoothly. This is especially when Merida and Elinor start to fight: as Merida tries to get her words out and pleads with her mother to listen to her, Elinor refuses and shouts, "I am the queen! YOU listen to ME!" This line really caught my attention because it captures Elinor's essence as being not only the queen, but the true ruler of DunBroch, and I don't think that's an exaggeration because Elinor handles all of the major work in the kingdom in terms of peacekeeping and diplomacy. Both mother and daughter have a point in trying to make the other person listen to what they want to say, but they are too stubborn and prideful to do so. Neither of them can back down and understand the situation through the other person's point of view. While Elinor had previously said to Fergus that Merida's stubbornness comes entirely from his side of the family, Elinor is just as stubborn as Merida, even though she denies it and just uses it to highlight how difficult Merida acts.

When Merida slashed the tapestry, she specifically tore the images of herself and Elinor apart. It's clear that she did this on purpose as a way of saying to Elinor "I hate you!" or "I want nothing more to do with you!", and this showed that their strained relationship seemed to reach the ultimate level for Merida for her to do something like this. On top of this, Merida showed no remorse at all after cutting the tapestry. Elinor was shocked at what Merida did for several reasons at once: the tapestry was something that she had been working on for a long time, and it represented her family. Because it displays her and the people she loves, Elinor put so much time and care into doing this right, and she's angry that Merida ruined something into which she put so much hard work. She also noticed the specific place where Merida had cut it, which told her that Merida was saying that she wanted nothing to do her. But the part that likely made her most upset was that, just as she slashed the tapestry, Merida exclaimed that she would rather die than be like Elinor. That would hurt her the most, because Elinor loves Merida very much and wants what's best for her, even though by now Merida does not think her mother feels that way about her anymore. And despite her defiance towards Elinor, including in this scene, it's very possible that Merida is a little bit afraid of her because Elinor has so much more authority over her, more so than Fergus does. When Elinor angrily marches up to Merida after she had cut the tapestry, Merida's angry expression quickly changes to one of fear. She remains looking afraid when Elinor takes her sword and bow away, and during this moment, it is obvious that Elinor has lost her patience with Merida so much that finally says to Merida the very words that I knew she wanted to say and had been thinking, but never said it until now: "Merida, you are a princess, and I expect you to act like one!" Following that, she does what I thought she would do in the heat of her anger: she finally takes Merida's bow away from her and tries to get rid of it by burning it. By now, Elinor's words and actions show that she has had enough of Merida's stubborn and defiant behavior, and the fact that she doesn't act like an expected princess after all of her trying to get her to do so. She doesn't want a princess to have weapons, which is why she takes the sword and bow away, but she burns the bow because she's had it with Merida enjoying something that isn't at all ladylike. I thought that was interesting in how she never did that before, because she clearly thinks it's wrong for Merida to pursue an unladylike activity like archery. We saw that even in the prologue and the dinner scenes, Elinor clearly disapproves of Merida having a bow and arrows and practicing archery. Yet she doesn't forbid her from doing it, and you think she would, since she already has so many rules on what Merida should be doing or not as a princess and/or as a lady. I think that by this point, she was even angrier with Merida for ruining the tapestry that she got even with her by throwing the bow into the fire. However, once Merida was out of the room, she was horrified at what she did and retrieved the bow before it was completely burned. She clearly didn't mean to harm it; it was just in the heat of her anger. Part of the reason why she probably never did anything to the bow until now is because she was present when Fergus gave Merida the bow, and being a gift from her father makes the bow very special to Merida. Now I thought that the moment when Elinor retrieves the bow was important, especially since only the audience sees it happen. It shows us that Elinor does care about what Merida likes and what's important to her, and that's especially noticeable because Elinor starts crying afterwards, meaning that she had remorse. The tapestry could be mended, but the bow may not have so much of a chance. But more than that, Elinor loves Merida so much and feels ashamed to have caused her pain by burning something that is very beloved to her. By this time, though, Merida thinks that her mother no longer cares about her and only about the kingdom. It makes sense during their argument, because Merida protests of how Elinor had never been there for her and does not ask her what she wants. This is really the moment in the movie in which Merida and Elinor's relationship was badly damaged, though not completely destroyed.

As her mother sobs in the tapestry room, Merida also sobs as she takes off on Angus and they ride away from the castle, which would make sense after what Elinor did, because she just wouldn't want to be in the castle now. She wouldn't care where they were going, as long as they were going further away from the castle. And it wasn't just because her bow was ruined, but that she was angry and frustrated about being forced to get married, and basically how her whole life is planned out without her having any real say in it. As they ride further into the forest, Angus stops suddenly and throws her, and she finds that they have come upon a mysterious Ring of Stones, where she finds a wisp. Soon a whole trail of them appears, and she follows them to a cottage where a witch posing as a woodcarver lives. Using a necklace that Elinor had given her earlier that day, Merida bargains with the witch to buy all of her carvings along with a spell, which is to change her mother, in order to change her fate. As she prepares to work her magic, the witch tells Merida that she had made a similar bargain before with a prince. He had asked for a spell that would give him the strength of ten men, and he paid for it with his clan's ring, which contains two axes crossing each other. Merida asks if the prince got what he wanted, and the witch confirms it. The witch creates a spell in the form of a cake, and this initially puzzles Merida on how it will help solve her problem. Nevertheless, she goes home and to the kitchen, where she makes the cake presentable to Elinor. Coincidentally, Elinor is the first person she sees when she gets home, and right in the kitchen. When she sees her, Elinor grabs Merida and strokes her hair, and admits that she was worried about Merida, so she's relieved that she's home now. Given everything that's recently happened, Merida is surprised that Elinor was worried about her, and she's initially hoping that the betrothal plans have changed, but is dismayed when Elinor says that the lords are still there and that they still expect an answer on which suitor Merida will choose to marry. Merida scowls at this, which indicates that she still believes that Elinor does not care about her, and was only worried that she was gone because they wouldn't be able to settle things with the lords had she not come back, and now they can since she is back. She realizes that she is at a dead end now, so she offers Elinor the cake as a "peace offering," which surprises Elinor, but also pleases her. She takes a small bite, but soon finds that it tastes very strange. As Elinor drinks some tea to help swallow the cake, Merida asks her if she feels any different, namely if she has changed her mind about the marriage. She is disappointed when it seems to have no effect as Elinor leads her to the lords, but almost immediately after they leave the kitchen, Elinor begins to feel ill and tells Merida to take her to her room. The lords intercept them to know if a decision has been made, but Elinor feels too sick to settle the matter right now. Merida helps her mother get comfortable in bed, and asks again if she has changed her mind about the marriage. Elinor falls off the bed along with the blanket, and Merida becomes concerned when her mother makes an ill-sounding groan. But as Elinor stands up, the blanket begins to fall off, and Merida is shocked when it falls off completely and reveals a bear!

After screaming in fear at seeing it, and noticing that the bear appears shocked at its appearance, Merida quickly realizes that this bear is actually Elinor, then she quizzically and angrily exclaims why the spell turned her into a bear, as she feels that the witch ripped her off. Elinor gives Merida a sharp look after hearing Merida's words, and Merida protests that it wasn't her fault. She didn't ask to have Elinor changed into a bear, but realizes that she inadvertently got what she wanted, as she says, "I just wanted her to change…you." Because she is now a bear, Elinor lets out her anger at Merida by roaring in her face. Now when I first saw the movie, I was definitely surprised with this moment where Elinor turns into a bear. I was also a little bit puzzled in how it would make the story work, and my reaction was the same as Merida's: "Why a bear?" But then I thought back to the scene of their argument and I remembered when Merida called Elinor a beast for controlling her life. Then in this scene, Elinor becomes one, so it physically symbolizes the very thing that Merida sees her as (though she doesn't specifically call her a bear). And this just further complicate matters because any communication between them by then is just about impossible since that is already the root of their problem, along with the fact that Elinor can no longer literally speak with Merida. This seems to be shown some when Merida realizes that she has to get Elinor out of the castle before Fergus sees her and kills her, and she initially has trouble getting Elinor's attention enough to have her listen to her so they can leave the castle without Fergus and the clansmen seeing them. Having heard Elinor roar, Fergus suspects that a bear is in the castle and orders the clansmen to follow him upstairs. Luckily, the triplets help Merida by showing the shadow of a chicken on the wall and making it look like that of a bear. They use this trick to lead the hunting party in the wrong direction, far enough so that Elinor can get out before the men can spot her.

**Plot Rundown and Personal Thoughts ****–**** Part 2**

The film really moves into its second half when Merida and Elinor leave the castle and head back to the Ring of Stones. The wisps do not appear this time, so Merida and Elinor take off in the forest in the same direction that Merida had previously taken. They manage to find the witch's cottage, but discover that it is now deserted. However, the witch has left a voice message in her cauldron for Merida, saying that the spell will be permanent by the second sunrise unless she can interpret the meaning of this riddle: "Fate be changed, look inside. Mend the bond torn by pride." Merida doesn't immediately understand this, so she panics and throws more vials into the cauldron in hopes of finding more information, but she causes the cottage to explode. Although the pair seems to think that all hope of turning Elinor back into a human is lost, they spend the night in the ruins and Merida promises that they will sort out the problem tomorrow. Because it is raining outside, she has a dream about a memory from her childhood, when Elinor is sewing the tapestry and singing a Gaelic lullaby called "Noble Maiden Fair" to her, then they sing it together. In the previous scene, it's noticeable that before the cottage explodes, Elinor doesn't hesitate to shield Merida from harm. A similar moment also occurred in the scene when Elinor turns into a bear: after Merida screams, "Bear!", Elinor is also spooked by seeing the shadow of a bear on the wall (not yet realizing it's her own), and places her paw over Merida, as if to protect her. These moments show us that, despite their constant friction and Elinor wanting Merida to marry to ensure peace in the kingdom, she still loves Merida very much and would do anything to ensure her safety. I also liked seeing Merida dream of that memory, because she was frightened by a crack of thunder and Elinor comforted her by saying that she would always be there for Merida. It showed how Merida was beginning to remember when her mother had been there for her, especially after she claimed the opposite earlier. I think she said that because this was when the friction between them was building up so much that Merida was remembering less of the happy times that she shared with Elinor when she was a child.

By the next morning, Elinor still acts like a proper queen while a bear, and even during the night before, as she insisted on walking upright and put her crown back on her head. She finds berries and water for breakfast and items to use for a table and silverware. She even gets frustrated with Merida when she puts the bow she brought with her on the table, and because she cannot speak English, she signs to Merida to take the bow off the table. Merida realizes that the berries are actually poisonous nightshade berries and the water is mixed with worms. So she leads Elinor to a nearby stream and successfully catches a fish by shooting it with an arrow. Elinor is impressed and starts to gain respect for Merida's skills, and when Merida takes it away and repeats her mother's words that "a princess should not have weapons, in your opinion," Elinor nods, but then shakes her head, as if those words were nonsense. Then she makes a face and refuses to eat the raw fish after it flaps, and Merida asks her, "How do you know you don't like it if you won't try it?" I found this quote to be somewhat ironic, because Elinor had said the very same words to the triplets in the dinner scene, when they refused to eat their haggis. Merida cooks the fish by roasting it on a spit over a fire, and Elinor finds it to be tasty. She signs for two more fish, and Merida catches them, but when Elinor asks for even more, Merida points to the river, which is her saying, "If you want more, you have to get them yourself." This moves onto one of my all-time favorite scenes with them, which is when they go fishing in the stream. In it, Merida and Elinor seem to reverse roles because Elinor takes lessons from Merida on how to catch fish and to do other things to survive in the wilderness. Elinor always knows exactly what to do when inside the castle, but Merida knows just what to do when outside of the castle, and that includes building a shelter from the cottage ruins the night before and making a fire to cook the fish for Elinor. Merida shows Elinor how to catch a fish in her mouth, and she manages to catch several of them, while at the same time, she and Merida play together in the river. On an additional note, I thought the song that played during the scene, "Into the Open Air," was perfect for the scene, because some of the lyrics match the situation of their relationship, such as "I tried to speak to you everyday." But my favorite lyric is "Can we carry this love that we share?", because they both obviously love each other very much, despite their differences, and they begin to show appreciation for those differences. Near the end of the song, Merida looks over at Elinor eating a fish. She looks at her with a semi-shocked expression, then it slowly changes into a smile. She doesn't say a word, but it's obvious that she realizes how much she loves her mother and always has, and how much she enjoys being with her. I love the whole scene because it shows Merida and Elinor enjoying each other's company, and it is probably the first time that they have in many years. As an additional note, lighting has a good usage of symbolism for them in this scene and the previous one of them together. When Merida first wakes up and tells her mother that the berries and water are no good, the area seems to be dim and lacks sunlight. But when she catches the fish and then plays with Elinor in the river, the sun is shown to be out and shining. The fact that there is virtually no light in one scene and more obvious light in the next scene is a way of reflecting their reconciliation, like they are finally "stepping out into the light" since they are beginning to appreciate each other's differences.

Merida gets confused when Elinor randomly leaves the stream and starts walking off into the forest, and on all four legs. She runs after her and catches up, but when she touches her, Elinor turns around, and Merida notices that her eyes are all black, like a wild bear. Elinor growls and approaches Merida menacingly while Merida backs away in fear. Just as Elinor raises a paw to strike Merida, her eyes clear and return to her normal eye color. Elinor sees that she looks like she was about to swipe Merida and stands up on her hind legs, and she expresses her worry when Merida says that she changed and acted more like a wild bear. Both of them realize by now how little time they have left to undo the spell before Elinor becomes a permanent bear, and then Merida sees a wisp appear. Elinor chases after it and it manages to escape from her every time she thinks has it cornered. After slamming into a tree, Merida soothes her mother and convinces her to listen to her and wait to make a move on what they should do next. Finally, a trail of wisps appears, and Merida convinces Elinor that they should follow them. The wisps lead them deep into the forest and through mist, and finally up to a hillside that contains the ruins of what appears to be an old kingdom. Merida notices that the gateway contains a familiar symbol of two axes crossing each other. As she walks further towards the ruins, Merida steps on an unstable piece of floor and falls inside. She discovers that it is a throne room and wonders if it was the kingdom from Elinor's legend. Her suspicions are confirmed when she finds a stone carving with four princes carved into it, but the one that represents the oldest prince is split from the rest, just like how Elinor's image on the tapestry was split from the rest of the family. As Merida touches the carving, she remembers the moment when she cut the tapestry, and also has a vision of the prince cutting his image off from the carving. This makes Merida realizes that the spell on her mother has happened once before. As she looks around the throne room and notices skeletons of old warriors and deep claw marks, she remembers the witch's words about the prince who came to her for a spell as well as the symbol of the crossed axes on the ring he had given her. Putting all of this information together, Merida realizes that the prince who met the witch is the same prince from Elinor's legend, and the spell he received transformed him into Mor'du! Just as she determines his true identity, Merida spots Mor'du behind her. She shoots several arrows at him, but they do not stop him. She scrambles onto a big piece of stone to try and reach for Elinor through the opening, and Merida jumps up to her and manages to grab her paw at the same time that Mor'du swipes at her.

Merida and Elinor escape from the ruins of the kingdom and come back to the Ring of Stones. It is there that Merida deduces that Elinor will become just like Mor'du if they don't break the spell, and that the witch's riddle of "mend the bond torn by pride" means that the tapestry she tore has to be fixed in order to change Elinor back. Back at the castle, Merida discovers that the clans are on the verge of war because of her actions, and she realizes that she has to stop the fighting because Elinor can't do it in her bear form. When Merida walks through the Great Hall, the fight immediately ceases and everyone stares at her. This is much like the earlier scene when the brawl stopped as Elinor walked through it, though I think the main reason why they stopped when Merida walked in was because they were stunned to see her. I doubt that right now, they hold the same amount of respect for Merida that they have for Elinor as a ruler, so they will listen to whatever Elinor says rather than Merida. Once everyone stops fighting, Merida says that she was having a conference with Elinor, so the lords demand to see her, while Elinor sneaks into the Great Hall and poses as a stuffed bear before someone looks her way enough and sees her. Now knowing that Elinor's legend is true, she reminds the lords about it and even repeats Elinor's words of "Legends are lessons. They ring with truths." Merida reminds them of how their clans used to be enemies, but also of how their alliance began when they joined together to defend their lands from invaders of the north. She also reminds each lord of what great achievement they did for one person or what someone else did for them. Then she admits how she was selfish and wrong for her actions at the Games, and that only she should take all the blame. Realizing the importance of her betrothal at last, Merida says she is prepared to do the right thing by choosing a suitor in order to mend the bond of the clans. But as she does, she notices Elinor shaking her head and miming "breaking" with her paws. Watching Elinor mime what she wants Merida to say for her, Merida says that the queen has decided to break this betrothal tradition and wants the young people to find love in their own time. The lords' sons agree with Merida, so their fathers decide that they will now try to win Merida's heart before her hand. Fergus feels proud of Merida for acting like a wise diplomat, and he places his hand on her shoulder as he says, "Just like your mum. You devil!" By now, Elinor is on the verge of being discovered, so Merida convinces everyone to go to the cellar to celebrate in order to clear the hall. When everyone is gone, Merida does a little sing and dance of happiness. She walks over to Elinor, who by now is very proud of Merida for bringing the clans back together. The whole time Merida made her speech, Elinor listened very well, starting from when Merida used Elinor's own words about legends, and looked at her with love and proudness. She expresses her happiness with Merida by stroking her hair and face, and then Merida hugs her mother's paw. Elinor was clearly proud of Merida for having the courage to speak to the lords like she herself would do, and she acted like a true diplomat and peacemaker, which is why Fergus said she was just like Elinor. The other part that made her proud was that Merida's speech showed Elinor that Merida had indeed paid attention to her lectures about the kingdom's clans, as well as the fact that she finally took responsibility for her previous actions at the Games. That was a very brave thing for her to do because of how prideful she was before and not willing to take the blame or responsibility for what she did. I think that all of this could be the reason why Elinor had decided not to force Merida to get married right now.

Up in the tapestry room, Merida realizes that Elinor will change back by having the torn tapestry sewn back together. Elinor starts to look for a needle and thread, but she suddenly turns wild again. At the same time, Fergus heads to his room to tell Elinor the good news about the clans, but inside he finds that the room has been wrecked and Elinor's dress has been torn. Fergus imagines the worst, and then he comes into the tapestry room where he sees Merida and Elinor. Thinking that Elinor is Mor'du, he tries to swipe at her with his sword, but she ends up scratching Merida's arm and throwing Fergus against the wall. Then Elinor finally snaps out of it and realizes with horror what she has done. Merida tries to calm her, but Elinor runs out of the room. The clans spot her and chase out of the castle. Believing that Elinor has been killed, Fergus decides to chase after her and refuses to believe Merida's claims that Elinor is the bear. He locks her in the room and gives the key to Maudie. Merida unsuccessfully tries to break free and briefly cries after seeing the clans go after Elinor, knowing Elinor won't stand a chance against them. Then she looks at the tapestry and finally pulls it off the wall. She calls out for Maudie, and then sees three bear cubs outside the door. She instantly realizes that the triplets had eaten the rest of the cake and had become bears, too! They take the key from Maudie and release Merida from the room, then they all take off on Angus to find Elinor and the clansmen. As they ride, Merida sews up the tapestry (albeit not very neatly), and then a trail of wisps appear and lead her to Elinor and the men. By this point, they have gathered at the Ring of Stones where they have captured Elinor and tied her down. Just as Fergus is about to cut off her head with his sword, Merida shoots an arrow, which knocks the sword from Fergus's hands. She also grabs a sword and cuts off his wooden leg to keep him from killing Elinor.

Just then, Mor'du appears at the Stones. Everyone runs to attack him, but he knocks them all away. When he closes in on Merida, she screams in fear as he looms over her, with his open mouth just inches from her throat. Seeing Merida in trouble, Elinor roars furiously and breaks the ropes holding her down and charges Mor'du before he can kill Merida. Elinor clashes hard with Mor'du, and after he throws her against one of the stones, it cracks, which gives her an idea. As he starts to pursue Merida again, Elinor pulls him towards the stone, then she steps out of his way as he chases her and rams into the stone. Elinor then hits him against the stone several times, but he swipes her away. Just as he begins to run towards Merida and Elinor, the cracked stone finally falls onto Mor'du, crushing him to death. Moments later, the spirit of the prince rises up from the stone. He looks at Merida and Elinor and nods to them, as if in acknowledgement and gratitude, because their killing him finally released him from his curse after so many years. He then takes the form of a wisp and disappears. A few pieces of this entire scene really stood out to me in terms of Merida and Elinor, like many of the others. When Mor'du was standing over Merida, she screamed in terror, and it was really for the first time since the prologue that we see her being genuinely scared. (In the prologue, she was also scared by Mor'du and screamed when she saw him.) But during the majority of the movie, we see that Merida's personality is one of a fearless and rebellious young woman, so it makes her horror in the latter scene more significant. Merida has been able to escape from Mor'du in the past, but then in this scene, she is finally vulnerable and can't escape from him because he has his entire body over hers. She knows that she can't get away from him this time, and that she will die whether or not she tries to escape. At the same time, Elinor had previously been unable to escape after the men captured her and tied her down. But the moment she saw Merida in danger, Elinor looked on with horror before letting out a furious roar and snarl. Seeing Merida in danger gave her the strength and energy to finally break the ropes and throw off the men in order to leap into action to protect Merida before any harm could come to her. Then literally seconds before Mor'du can lunge down at Merida, Elinor attacks him and they roll away from Merida. At least two more times occur when Mor'du tries to go after Merida, but Elinor always gets in his way somehow to keep him away from her. During the whole time that they fought, I think that Elinor knew that she might not be able to stop Mor'du because he is much older, stronger, and more dangerous than her. But she never buckled down; she used every ounce of her strength to keep going, and that was because she and Mor'du possessed very different forms of strength. Mor'du had once been a prince who asked for the strength of ten men, and his bear form gave him that brute strength. But while Elinor also had more strength in this form, the strength she used was a different one: it was her unconditional love for Merida and determination to keep her safe. This was a great way of showing Merida just what kind of mother Elinor is: that she would risk her own safety just for Merida's, and her seeing her mother do this is what would make their healing absolutely complete. In the end, it's why Elinor was able to defeat Mor'du and not only save Merida, but release the prince from the curse that had taken over him so long ago.

Seeing the sun about to come up, and realizing it's now the second sunrise, Merida grabs the now mended tapestry and wraps it around Elinor because she thinks that it needs to be touching Elinor in order to break the spell. Nothing happens immediately, and then Elinor's eyes turn black like a wild bear again. Thinking that she has failed to bring her mother back, Merida begins to cry. She finally apologizes to Elinor for everything that she has done, and she continues to cry while she tells Elinor that she wants her back and that she loves her. Before this scene played, I had figured out from the moment that the witch said the message of "mend the bond torn by pride" that it actually meant that Merida had to mend her relationship with Elinor, and she took that too literally by fixing the tapestry. However, the answer is still in the tapestry in a symbolic way: Merida tore the tapestry due to her pride and anger, then she thought that mending it by stitching it up would change Elinor back. The tapestry depicted Merida and Elinor holding hands, which illustrated their bond, and as I said earlier, Merida specifically slashed it between those two images (splitting it between their joined hands), and that was symbolic of how broken their relationship had become by that point. Merida probably assumed that something needed to be physically fixed in order to undo the spell, and she thought of the tapestry because she remembered tearing it. She was also in a panic about changing her mother back that it was the first thing that came to her mind. However, I believe that the tapestry was not significant to changing Elinor back at all, as the whole answer was really that Merida and Elinor had to mend their relationship. That was all being done on the journey they faced together, from their time together in the forest to the final showdown with Mor'du.

The whole scene of Merida crying and professing her love to Elinor really moves me, because Merida made a big change in herself here than she had in the beginning, including when Elinor first became a bear. When that happened, she twice objected that it wasn't her fault and didn't apologize, and when she argued with Elinor after the Games, she exclaimed that her mother had never been there for her. But here, she finally takes responsibility for her actions like she is supposed to: she realizes just how much she loves her mother and what she means to her, so she contradicts everything she said and did before, especially when she apologizes and takes all of the blame for the spell on her mother. It's interesting to note that the lyrics of "Noble Maiden Fair" plays in the background as Merida says that she wants her mother back. I bet that was because Merida was thinking of that memory again, especially because she remembers Elinor saying she would always be there for her, and she had been, which is why she says, "You've always been there for me. You've never given up on me." I think that when Elinor starts to turn into a permanent bear, Merida snuggles into her because she wants to be with her, and she doesn't care that she's putting herself in danger that way. She feels that she deserves it after all that she's done. By now, I know that Merida would do anything in her power to bring her mother back to her, and I'm sure she says "I love you" to Elinor because she wants her mother to know that before she would become a full bear. Merida may have taken the meaning of the riddle too literally by using the tapestry…but the overall true meaning of it was what she just said to her mother right then and there. Even if the tapestry had not been sewn up, Elinor would change back as long as Merida had fessed up for everything by apologizing to Elinor, admitting that the spell's consequences were her fault, and telling Elinor that she loves her.

By the time the sun has come up completely, Merida is still crying, but soon becomes shocked when she feels a human hand stroking her hair. Hardly daring to believe it, she gasps and looks up and sees Elinor's human face smiling down at her! Merida happily exclaims that her mother is back, and Elinor laughs tearfully as she affectionately kisses Merida all over the face, and Merida also tearfully laughs as her mother kisses her. After receiving the last kiss on her forehead, Merida says, "You've changed," and Elinor replies, "Oh, darling, we both have." Then she kisses Merida's forehead again before Fergus shouts out Elinor's name, and he stumbles over to them and hugs them both. Then he dips Elinor and kisses her passionately, and Merida groans disgustedly at seeing her parents kiss. Merida then notices that her mother is wearing nothing but the tapestry wrapped around her, so she whispers to Elinor, who whispers to Fergus. He orders the lords to turn around and not look at Elinor. They do as he asks, and the triplets, who have also changed back (and are also naked), run over to their family, and they all are reunited. Then sometime after they are all home, Merida and Elinor start working on a new tapestry together; it features Merida and Elinor as a bear, facing each other and holding hands. Elinor is shown to be wearing a dark blue dress and much of her long hair is now worn down, with some of it tied up at the top, and Merida is wearing a deep purple dress that appears similar to her simple blue dresses, but also appears more formal. When the lords are getting ready to depart, everyone gathers at the docks to say goodbye to them. Sometime after they sail off, Merida rides Angus to the top of a hill, and this time, Elinor appears beside her on her own horse. After they watch the lords' ships in the distance, the two of them take off on their horses together. Merida and Elinor have finally made peace with each other and their friendship and love for each other has become stronger than before.

To wrap on my comments on the final minutes of the film, my all-time favorite moment in the entire film is when Elinor kisses Merida's face after she changes back. I kind of thought it surprised Merida and thought it was a little out of character for Elinor to do, because Elinor probably hasn't kissed Merida like that or been so affectionate with her since she was little. It's likely that Merida hadn't said "I love you" to her mother in a very long time, too. But since this is a very happy moment for both of them, especially because Elinor's so proud of Merida, how could she not be so affectionate and motherly to her? :) And I definitely agree when Elinor said that she and Merida have both changed from the experience. During the scene where they fish, they began to reconcile their relationship by working as a team to catch fish, and managed to start showing appreciation for their differences. By the end, they have accepted those differences, but they have also changed in significant ways. I thought that Elinor's hair was a representation of how she had changed, because she had previously worn her hair in two large braids, and that very precise and neat fashion of it was a great example of symbolizing her strict and proper personality. However, in the end of the film, much of it is worn down in a very loose and flowing way, with only a little bit tied up at the top. This shows how Elinor has become less strict, less of a perfectionist, and more open to and accepting of new things, and she has finally learned to be more understanding of Merida's needs and desires. With Merida, because she had acted like a typical teenager of today who rebelled against one or both of her parents, she appeared like those kinds of teens who had to learn things the hard way, and for her, it was to understand the importance of keeping peace in the kingdom and accepting her responsibilities as the future queen of DunBroch. It was because of their conflict that it seemed that Merida would not believe anything her mother would say in terms of warnings, including the legend of the ancient kingdom and that the clans were going to fight following her actions at the Games, and that the only way to get through to her was if she actually _saw_ proof that her mother's words meant the truth. But in the end, Merida understands the importance of everything, accepts responsibility for her actions and duties as DunBroch's heir, and works to fix her mistakes. By the end of the film, the dress she wears is a purple color and more formal in appearance, which may represent how she has finally accepted her status as a princess (since purple is often associated with royalty). When Merida spoke to the lords and their clansmen, Elinor was proud of her because she handled everything in a mature and brave way, and Merida realized how her mother's wisdom was important in making sure that the kingdom was ruled well. Merida's new behavior has made Elinor believe that, while Merida may not become exactly like her, she will still turn out to be a great queen of DunBroch one day. Both of them learned a great deal about themselves and about each other, especially in valuing their most important traits, and they made that new tapestry of them together so they would always remember what they learned from their journey. But most importantly, they realized that their love for each other makes it possible to overcome any and every obstacle. In the end, their relationship is stronger than it had been before, and even now, with any and all differences between them, Merida and Elinor realize that they love each other just the way they are.

**Final Reflections and Conclusion**

Because Merida and Elinor's relationship is the focal point of the film, it definitely has an uplifting message about improving communication between mothers and daughters. Even though the film is set in the 10th century, the relationship portrayed in it is very realistic and similar to what the bonds between mothers and daughters are like today, and this kind of relationship is very unique and complicated, so it could be told during any time period in history. Merida and Elinor were both depicted as strong characters in their own rights, and while they clearly love each other very much, there is a great deal of friction between them. This is because they are very different people, and they struggle with each other so much because they have a hard time understanding and accepting those differences. The film allowed you to empathize with both of them, rather than take the side of one character and show feelings of dislike towards the other one. While you could take both of their sides, you also realize that Merida and Elinor had differences, including flaws, that neither would admit to each other or even to themselves. Through their journey together, they come to terms with their differences and realize how they were both at fault in the situation. The result from their journey was not a one-sided lesson, but both of them learned that they must have open conversation and understanding to preserve the special bond that they have. In the end of the film, they have finally accepted their differences, but they also have changed by acknowledging their own faults and learned to be better people from them. But most importantly, they have realized just how much they love each other and have accepted each other just the way they are.

So this concludes my entire essay on analyzing Merida and Elinor's relationship in this great movie from Pixar. Some of my words may have been said more than once, but since there was a lot that I could say about them, some repetitions needed to be made in order for my analysis to be made to the point. Thank you for reading and have a good day. ;)


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